Here is some must-know information from a handbook on how people behave in doing business in some countries.

In Brazil

    Brazilians are warm and friendly. They often stand close when talking and it is common for them to touch the person on the shoulder. People often greet each other (particularly women) with light cheek kisses. Schedules tend to be flexible, with business meetings sometimes starting later than planned. But to be safe, be on time. Meals can stretch for hours—there's no such thing as rushing a meal in Brazil. Lunches also can start in the mid to late afternoon. Brazilians are social, preferring face-to-face communication over mails or phone calls.

    In Singapore

    Singaporeans shake hands when they meet and often also greet each other with a small, polite bow. Business cards should be offered and received with two hands. Arriving late is considered disrespectful. So be on time. Efficiency(效率) is the goal, so meetings and dealings often are fast-paced. Singaporeans are direct in their discussions, even when the subject is about money. Rank is important and authority is respected. This determines both people interact in meetings. For example, people avoid disagreeing outright with someone with a higher rank.

    In the United Arab Emirates

    In the UAE, status is important, so the most senior or oldest should be greeted first with their titles. The handshake seems to be longer than elsewhere. So, do not pull away the handshake. Women should cover themselves when it comes to dress. Men also tend to be covered from neck to elbows(肘部) and down to the knees. People do not avoid entertaining in their homes, but they also hold business meals at restaurants. Touching or passing food or eating with your left hand is to be avoided. When meetings are one-to-one, if your host offers you coffee, you should refuse. It might seem odd, but it is a cultural tradition. Coffee should only be accepted if it is always set out or presented.

    In Switzerland

    The Swiss tend to be formal and address each other by last name. They also are respectful of private lives. You should be careful not to ask about personal topics. Punctuality (守时) is vital, something that comes from a deep respect for others' time. Arrive at any meeting or event a few minutes early to be safe. They also have clear structure in their companies. Higher-ups make the final decisions, even if others might disagree. Neat, clean dress is expected. The Swiss follow formal table manners. They also keep their hands visible at the table and their elbows off the table. It is polite to finish the food on your plate.

    What do you think of cats? Some people think very lovely. But not all people love cats. Compared with dogs, cats seem to be very lazy and unfriendly. Besides, cats are not known for acts of selflessness (无私). But maybe we're wrong about them. Don't believe it? Then meet Pippa, a very unusual cat.

    The black-and-white cat was left in a box outside a shop and taken by the British RSPCA to the Jansa family in Whitstable, Kent. They really loved her character (性格) and decided to adopt (收养) it，but they never guessed she'd become a lifesaver.

    Eight-year-old Mia Jansa had diabetes and had become good at testing her blood during the day, as well as having something to eat or drink to bring her blood sugar levels back. But the danger was at night. Mia could easily experience hypoglycemic (低血糖症的) situations when she was asleep, which could cause even death.

    Soon after she was adopted, Pippa went into Mia's bedroom in the middle of the night and woke her up. When the child tested her blood sugar levels, she found they were dangerously low. Ever since, Pippa always visits Mia at night. If she can't get her to wake up, she raises the alarm.

    “Pippa does this of her own accord,” says Mia's mother Laura. “We don't make a request for caring because we don't want to encourage wrong alarms. She gets plenty of hugs. It gives me peace of mind and I know someone else is keeping an eye on Mia.”

    Now the family is so happy that they've chosen to adopt it in the first place.

    In order to increase their job chances after college, Chinese students are turning to a special practice—Eiffel Tower nose jobs (鼻整形手术). The latest trend in plastic surgery promises to create a nose that is similar to the curve of the Eiffel Tower.

    Surgeon Wang Xuming said:  “We are influenced by the beauty of the Eiffel Tower. We are not content to just add something to the nose; we reconstruct it.” The surgery costs about US$ 10,000 and involves the enlarging of the nose using tissue from the forehead.

    Hundreds of posters advertising the procedure are put up all over Chongqing city, where surgeon Xuming runs his private practice. They show a western-looking woman with an almost-to o-perfect nose, against an outline of the Eiffel Tower.

    Interestingly, many young women in China are eager to achieve a western appearance, as they believe it will give them an advantage in the highly competitive job market. “Some students face a lot of employment pressure after graduation. If their facial features are good, they'll have more chances of finding a job,” said surgeon Xuming. “We've had students getting the Eiffel Tower nose; it's helped them a lot.”

    Apparently, Chinese employers are quite particular about appearances and prefer attractive candidates. Some of them even go as far as putting height and weight requirements in their employment ads. Plastic surgeons across the country are reporting an increase in the number of students choosing beauty “improvement”.

    According to a Mr. Li, hospital manager at surgeon Xuming's clinic, most of their customers are female and the bill is taken care of by the family. “They usually come in with their mothers, and tend to be from well-off backgrounds.” he said.

    Personally, I don't think it so important to “improve” our appearance as long as we are skilled at our jobs. We can't decide how we look, but we can decide how well we live and work.

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Introduction of Holi

    Holi is an ancient festival of colours and love. It is celebrated in India and many parts of South Asia. There are lots of Holi celebrations. It is becoming more and more popular.

The festival of colour

Holi means the beginning of spring. It is a time to give thanks for the good harvest. The dates change each year according to the full moon, but it is usually in March and sometimes in late February. People go outside and throw coloured paint powder(粉) at each other. It does not matter whether you are rich or poor, old or young—everyone can throw colours. It is a time to forgive people and repair broken relationships, as well as meet other people, play and have fun.

    Traditional Holi

    Traditional Holi celebrations start the night before the throwing of colours. People meet around a bonfire(篝火) and hope that the bad will be destroyed. The next day is the festival of colours. There is music playing, and people run and laugh in the streets and parks. Holi is celebrated outside.

    Other Holi events in the UK

    Holi celebrations began as early as the fourth century. It is thousands of years old! But recently, Holi-themed events have become popular with a new generation in Europe and North America. Every year, many people go to Holi events in London and all over the UK. They dress in white T-shirts and return covered in bright colours. There are paint-throwing parties at music festivals and races like the five-kilometre 'Colour Run'. In the UK, restaurants and cultural organizations also offer their own Holi celebrations, with special dishes, Indian music and dance.

In a long-sleeved shirt and jeans, Dieudonne Twahirwa looks nothing like the traditional African farmer. The 30-year-old owner of Gashora Farm knows what a difference that makes.

"You need more role models," he said, standing among knee-high rows of chili (辣椒) plants. "If you have young farmers, they have land and they drive to the farm and others may think, ‘Why can't I do that?"

Twahirwa, a university graduate, bought a friend's tomato farm six years ago for $150. He made $1,500 back in two months. "You have to link farming with entrepreneurship (创业精神) and real numbers," he said.

Many young Africans are quitting countryside areas, choosing not to work hard for a long time in the fields-a job made a lot tougher by climate change. But Twahirwa is one of a growing group of successful farmers working to improve agriculture's image on the continent. Some 1,000 farmers now produce chilies for him. He is starting a fourth farm of his own, and exports fresh and dried chilies and oil to Britain, the United States, India and Kenya.

Africa has the world's youngest population and 65 percent undeveloped farmland. Yet accessing land and loans is difficult, and African productivity is low with crop output just 56 percent of the international average.

"Agriculture is mainly connected with suffering and no young person wants to suffer," said Tamara Kaunda, an expert of FAO. She believes African agriculture needs a change to get rid of its old-fashioned image of extremely difficult and tiring work with a hoe (锄头). "Show young people with tractors, green fields, nice irrigation systems and smartphones," she said.

Getting young people involved in agriculture does not mean they have to work on a farm. For example, in coffee production, the beans go from the farm to the washing station, then to be separated from the outer coverings. There are people in the coffee value chain who just build washing stations and rent them out. You just have to find a place to plug in.